PM Modi lays foundation stone for Kashi Vishwanath corridor

The PM laid the foundation for the corridor by putting Vishawanath Dham-embossed five bricks and cement on it. The 50-feet wide corridor, to be constructed at a cost of around Rs 600 crore will provide direct access to the Kashi Vishwanath temple of Lord Shiv from ghats of river Ganga. Touted as the Prime Minister’s dream project, the corridor is expected to be ready for pilgrims by 2020. The Prime Minister in his brief address said that now Ma Ganga would have direct link with Bhole Baba at Kashi Vishwanath Temple after completion of the corridor.

"I think Ma Ganga had brought me to Kashi for doing this work in 2014. We had lost first three years of my regime due to uncooperative attitude by the then UP government," he commented. "If the project work would have started in 2014, then, today, we would have inaugurated the dham," the PM said.

"I can assure you that no compromise would be done in the construction of this Kashi Vishwanath Dham which will maintain its heritage culture and religious sanctity. The 40 temples which were affected in this corridor would be revamped and it would return to its old status," he said.

Mr Modi also thanked the Uttar Pradesh government, its officials and locals for the support. The PM was accompanied by UP Governor Ram Naik , Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and UP BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey. Earlier, after reaching Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, PM worshiped at the Kashi Vishwanath temple along with UP governor and the CM.

Later, he went for a roadshow in the city, though sitting inside his car and waved to the people of the city. After around three hour trip to Varanasi, PM Modi will travel to Kanpur and Ghaziabad to launch several development projects. In Kanpur, he will unveil the Panki Power Plant and other development projects. He will also address a mega BJP rally in the city. The next stop will be in Ghaziabad where he will inaugurate several development projects including Hindon Airport Civil Terminal.

The visit comes just ahead of the announcement of Lok Sabha elections dates. The BJP is banking heavily on PM Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s popularity in the state to repeat its 2014 performance when it bagged 73 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats. (UNI)